Dr John Morrison

Biography

Dr. John Morrison is an Assistant Professor in Criminology in the School of Law and Criminology. Prior to joining Maynooth, John worked in Royal Holloway, University of London, University of East London and Pennsylvania State University. John holds a PhD in International Relations (University of St Andrews), an MA in Forensic Psychology (University College Cork), and a BA in Psychology (University College Dublin). 

John's research focuses on terrorist decision making processes. Within this he looks at splits in terrorist organisations, disengagement, radicalisation, expert novice differences, terrorist risk and the role of trust in terrorist involvement. John's research has been funded by research bodies in the UK and the US, including the ESRC and the Minerva Research Initiative. 

John is Associate Editor of two leading Terrorism Studies Journals, Perspectives on Terrorism, and Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, and is on the Editorial Board of Terrorism and Political Violence. John is an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism and a member of the advisory board for the Society for Terrorism Research. He is also the host of the Talking Terror podcast. On the podcast he interviews leading experts in terrorism and counter-terrorism studies. 

During his academic career John has held a range of administrative roles. Within Royal Holloway he was the programme lead for the BSc in Criminology and Psychology (2018-2020), Undergraduate Education Lead for the Department of Law and Criminology (2019-2022) and the programme lead for the MSc in Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies (2019-2022). At the University of East London he was the Programme Lead for the BA in Criminology and Psychology (2014-2018), and the Chair of the Department of Law and Criminology's Ethics panel (2014-2018). At Maynooth University he sits on the School of Law and Criminology Research Committee. He was also the founding director of two separate research centres: The Terrorism and Extremism Research Centre (University of East London) and the Conflict, Violence and Terrorism Research Centre (Royal Holloway).

John lectures on the psychology of terrorism, introductory criminology, and theoretical criminology. 

John is interested in supervising doctoral students in the area of psychology of terrorism.

Research Interests

John's research focuses on terrorist decision making processes. Within this he looks at splits in terrorist organisations, disengagement, radicalisation, expert novice differences, terrorist risk and the role of trust in terrorist involvement. John's research has been funded by research bodies in the UK and the US, including the ESRC and the Minerva Research Initiative. The award sums presented below outline the award related to John Morrison's individual contribution, and does not necessarily reflect the overall funding for any individual project.

Research Projects

Title Role Description Start date End date Amount
Disengagement and Desistance: A Systematic Review Principal Investigator 01/02/2020 30/09/2020 66362
From Criminals to Terrorists and Back Co-Investigator 01/09/2017 01/09/2019 19708
"The Social Ecology of Radicalization: A Foundation for the Design of CVE Initiatives" Co-Investigator 01/10/2016 01/09/2019 97666
The Violent Dissident Republican Project Co-PI 01/09/2010 30/09/2011 194831
Northern Irish Paramilitary Prisoners PI 25/04/2023 4998

Book

Year Publication
2013 Morrison, John F. (2013) The Origins and Rise of Dissident Irish Republicanism: The Role and Impact of Organisational Splits. New York: Bloomsbury. [Link]

Edited Journal Issue

Year Publication
2022 Silke, A. and Morrison, J. (2022) Terrorism and Political Violence Special Issue on Climate Change and Terrorism. [Edited Journal Issue] [Link]
2022 David A Winter; John Morrison; Kees van den Bos (2022) Radicalization and deradicalization: Processes and contexts. [Edited Journal Issue]
2016 Morrison, J.F. and Gill, P. (2016) Terrorism and Political Violence Special Issue: 100 Years of Irish Republican Violence: 1916-2016.i. [Edited Journal Issue] [Link]

Edited Book

Year Publication
2023 Frumkin, Lara; Morrison, John F.; Silke, Andrew (Ed.). (2023) A Research Agenda for Terrorism Studies. London: Edward Elgar, [Link]
2018 Windle, James; Morrison, John F.; Winter, Aaron; Silke, Andrew (Ed.). (2018) Historical Perspectives on Organized Crime and Terrorism. Oxon: Routledge, [Link]
2016 Morrison, John F.; Gill, Paul (Ed.). (2016) 100 Years of Irish Republican Violence: 1916-2016. Oxon: Routledge, [Link]

Peer Reviewed Journal

Year Publication
2024 John Morrison (2024) 'Community Legitimisation of Irish Republican Paramilitarism in Belfast: A Criminological Understanding'. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, .
2024 Morrison, J.F.; Silke, A.; Hanks, T. (2024) 'What drives the frequency of terrorist attacks? Thematic analysis of a rapid evidence assessment'. Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict: Pathways toward Terrorism and Genocide, . [Link] [DOI]
2024 Morrison, J.F. (2024) 'The Violence of Peace: Post Good Friday Agreement Paramilitary Vigilantism in Northern Ireland'. Terrorism and Political Violence, . [Link] [DOI]
2024 Munden, H.P.; Morrison, J. (2024) '“We had a lot of fun”: Psychological rewards of white supremacy group membership'. Political Psychology, . [Link] [DOI]
2022 Silke, Andrew; Morrison, John F. (2022) 'Gathering Storm : An Introduction to the Special Issue on Climate Change and Terrorism'. Terrorism and Political Violence, . [Link] [Full-Text]
2021 Silke, Andrew; Morrison, John F.; Maiberg, Heidi; Slay, Chloe ; Stewart, Rebecca. (2021) 'The Phoenix Model of Disengagement and Deradicalisation from Terrorism and Violent Extremism'. Monatsschrift fur Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform, . [Link]
2021 Rose M.M.; Morrison J. (2021) 'An exploratory analysis of leakage warning behavior in lone-actor terrorists'. Behavioral Sciences Of Terrorism And Political Aggression, . [Link] [DOI] [Full-Text]
2021 Morrison, John F.; Silke, Andrew; Bont, Eke (2021) 'The Development of the Framework for Research Ethics in Terrorism Studies (FRETS)'. Terrorism and Political Violence, . [Link] [Full-Text]
2021 Marchment, Zoe; Frith, Michael; Morrison, John F.; Gill, Paul. (2021) 'A multi-level analysis of risky streets and neighbourhoods for dissident Republican violence in Belfast'. Isprs International Journal Of Geo-Information, . [Link]
2020 Morrison, J.F. (2020) 'Reality Check: The Real IRA's Tactical Adaptation and Restraint in the Aftermath of the Omagh Bombing'. Perspectives on Terrorism, . [Link]
2020 Morrison, John F. (2020) 'Talking Stagnation : Thematic Analysis of Terrorism Experts’ Perception of the Health of Terrorism Research'. Terrorism and Political Violence, . [Link]
2019 Marchment, Zoe; Gill, Paul; Morrison, John F. (2019) 'Risk Factors for Violent Dissident Republican Incidents in Belfast : A Comparison of Bombings and Bomb Hoaxes'. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, . [Link]
2018 Hourigan, Niamh; Morrison, John F.; Windle, James ; Silke, Andrew. (2018) 'Crime in Ireland north and south : Feuding gangs and profiteering paramilitaries'. Trends in Organized Crime, . [Link]
2018 Braddock, Kurt; Morrison, John F. (2018) 'Cultivating Trust and Perceptions of Source Credibility in Online Counternarratives Intended to Reduce Support for Terrorism'. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, . [Link]
2018 Busher, Joel; Morrison, John (2018) 'Micro-Moral Worlds of Contentious Politics : A Reconceptualization of Radical Groups And Their Intersections With One Another And The Mainstream'. Mobilization, . [Link]
2017 Morrison J.F. (2017) 'Splitting to survive: understanding terrorist group fragmentation'. Journal Of Criminological Research, Policy And Practice, 3 (3):222-232. [Link] [DOI]
2016 Morrison, John F. (2016) 'An Interview with Danny Morrison'. Terrorism and Political Violence, . [Link]
2016 Morrison, John F. (2016) 'Copying to be Different : Violent Dissident Irish Republican Learning'. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, . [Link]
2016 Morrison, John F. (2016) 'Fighting Talk : The Statements of The IRA/New IRA'. Terrorism and Political Violence, . [Link]
2016 Morrison, John F.; Gill, Paul. (2016) '100 Years of Irish Republican Violence'. Terrorism and Political Violence, . [Link]
2016 Morrison, John. F.; Horgan, John (2016) 'Reloading the Armalite? Victims and Targets of Violent Dissident Irish Republicanism, 2007-2015'. Terrorism and Political Violence, . [Link]
2016 Morrison, John F. (2016) 'Trust in me : Allegiance choices in a post-split terrorist movement'. Aggression and Violent Behavior, . [Link]
2011 Horgan, John; Morrison, John, F. (2011) 'Here to Stay? The Rising Threat of Violent Dissident Irish Republicanism'. Terrorism and Political Violence, . [Link]

Book Chapter

Year Publication
2025 John Morrison (2025) 'Ethical Challenges and Multi-Disciplinary Norms in Terrorism Studies' In: Explaining Extreme Belief and Behaviour. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
2025 John Morrison (2025) 'Irish Republicanism from 1969 to 2024' In: A Companion to Northern Ireland Politics and Society. London : Peter Lang.
2023 John F. Morrison, Eke Bont and Andrew Silke (2023) 'Ethics and Terrorism Research: The Rights, Safety and Vulnerability of Participant and Researcher' In: A Research Agenda for Terrorism Studies. Cheltenham, UK : Edward Elgar.
2023 Andrew Silke, Lara A. Frumkin and John F. Morrison (2023) 'Contemplating a Research Agenda for Terrorism Studies' In: A Research Agenda for Terrorism Studies. Cheltenham, UK : Edward Elgar.
2022 Morrison, John F. (2022) 'The Social Psychology of Radicalisation' In: Radicalization in Theory and Practice: Pathways to National Security in Western Europe. Michigan : Michigan University Press.
2018 Windle, James; Morrison, John F.; Winter, Aaron; Silke, Andrew. (2018) 'Introduction: Hawking the Historical Methods in Organised Crime and Terrorism Studies' In: Historical Perspectives on Organisational Crime and Terrorism. Oxon : Routledge. [Link]
2018 Morrison, John F. (2018) 'The Provisional IRA' In: Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism. Oxon : Routledge. [Link]
2018 Morrison, John F. (2018) '1975 : The Truce that Changed the Troubles' In: Historical Perspectives on Organized Crime and Terrorism. Oxon : Routledge. [Link]
2017 Morrison, John F. (2017) 'The Trustworthy Terrorist : The Role of Trust in the Psychology of Terrorism' In: Victims and Perpetrators of Terrorism : Exploring Identities, Roles and Narratives. Oxon : Routledge. [Link]
2015 Gill, Paul; Bouhana, Noemie; Morrison, John F. (2015) 'Individual Disengagement from Terrorist groups' In: Terrorism and Political Violence. London : SAGE. [Link]
2015 Morrison, John F. (2015) 'Peace Comes Dropping Slow: The Case of Northern Ireland' In: Researching Terrorism, Peace and Conflict Studies. Oxon : Routledge. [Link]
2013 Morrison, John. F.; Horgan, John (2013) 'Interior Rebellion: A History of Irish Republican Splitting' In: Divided We Stand: The Strategy and Psychology of Ireland's Dissident Terrorists. New York : Oxford University Press. [Link]
2013 Morrison, John F. (2013) 'A Time to Think, A Time to Talk : Irish Republican Prisoners in the Northern Ireland Peace Process' In: Prisons, Terrorism and Extremism: Critical Issues in Management, Radicalisation and Reform. Oxon : Routledge. [Link]
2013 Morrison, John F. (2013) 'The Psychology of Terrorism: Current Understanding and Vital Next Steps' In: The McGraw-Hill Homeland Security Handbook. New York : McGraw Hill. [Link]
2011 Morrison, John F. (2011) 'Why Do People Become Dissident Irish Republicans?' In: Dissident Irish Republicanism. New York : Continuum. [Link]

Radio Presentation

Year Publication
2015 John Morrison (2015) Thinking Allowed: BBC Radio 4. [Radio Presentation] [Link]

Thesis

Year Publication
2010 Morrison, J.F. (2010) 'The affirmation of Behan?' : an understanding of the politicisation process of the Provisional Irish Republican Movement through an organisational analysis of splits from 1969 to 1997. [Thesis] [Link]

Published Report

Year Publication
2020 Morrison, John F. (2020) Analyzing Interviews with Terrorists. Resolve Network, . [Link]
2020 Silke, Andrew; Morrison, John F. (2020) Re-Offending by released Terrorist Prisoners : Separating Hype from Reality. International Center for Counter-Terrorism: Policy Briefs, . [Link]
2017 Morrison, John F. (2017) Transmitting Legitimacy and Victimhood : Violent Dissident Irish Republicanism. CREST Security Review, . [Link]
2021 Morrison, J.F.; Silke, A.; Maiberg, H.; Slay, C.; Stewart, R. (2021) The Role of (Dis)Trust in Disengagement and Deradicalisation. CREST Security Review, .
2021 Morrison, J.F.; Silke, A.; Maiberg, H.; Slay, C.; Stewart, R (2021) A Systematic Review of Post-2017 Research on Disengagement and Deradicalisation. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats, .
2021 Bouhana, N., Morrison, J.F., Lindekilde, L., and Alrajeh, D. (2021) The Social Ecology of Radicalisation: Final Report for Minerva Research Initiative. Minerva Research Initiative, .
2019 Morrison, J.F.; Lynch, O.; Rekawek, K. (2019) From Criminals to Terrorists and Back? Quarterly Report Vol. 2: Great Britain and Ireland. Globsec, .
2019 Rekawek, K.; Szucs, V.; Babikova, M.; Hamel, E.; Morrison, J.F.; Pisoiu, D.; Peschak, J.; Hardyns, W.; Snaphaan, T.; Dzekova, R.; Stoynova, N.; deFrance, O.; Saverot; Colomina, P.; Sirseloudi, M.,; Fotou, E.; Lynch, O.; Lombardi, M.; Giacolone, G.; Spagna, N.; Schuurman, B.; Reinares, F.; Garcia-Calvo, C.; Vicente, A.; Lolek, A. (2019) Who are the European Jihadis? Midterm Report. Globsec, .
2019 Rekawek, K.; Szucs, V.; Babikova, M.; Hamel, E.; Morrison, J.F.; Pisoiu, D.; Peschak, J.; Hardyns, W; Snaphaan, T.; Dzhekova, R.; Stoynova, N.; de France, O.; Colomina, P.; Sireloudi, M.; Fotou, E.; Lynch, O.; Lombardi, M.; Spagna, N.; Schuurman, B.; Reinares, F.; Garcia-Calvo, C.; Vicente, A.; Lolek, A. (2019) European Jihad: Future of the Past? From Criminals to Terrorists and Back? Final Report. Globsec, .

Podcast

Year Publication
2023 Pool Reinsurance (2023) Totally Terrorism Podcast. [Podcast] [Link]
2018 John Morrison (2018) Talking Terror Podcast. [Podcast] [Link]

Policy Contribution

Year Publication
2023 John Morrison; Andrew Silke; Toby Hanks (2023) Terrorism Frequency Report for Pool Reinsurance. [Policy Contribution]

Conference Contribution

Year Publication
2019 John F. Morrison (2019) Violent Extremism Symposium Keynote Address: Violent Extremism Symposium Cranfield University, .
2015 John F. Morrison (2015) Society for Terrorism Research Keynote Address Society for Terrorism Research Annual Conference Birmingham, .

Other Publication

Year Publication
2022 Winter, D.A.; Morrison, J.F.; van den Bos, K. (2022) Editorial: Radicalization and deradicalization: Processes and contexts. [Link] [DOI]

Newspaper Articles

Year Publication
2024 Lynsey Black; John F Morrison; Joe Garrihy; Rhiannon Bandiera; Megan Coghlan; Claire Hamilton; Ian D Marder; Ciara Bracken-Roche; Etain Quigley; Kevin Wozniak (2024) A return to penal populism will fail Ireland, Irish Examiner. Cork: [Newspaper Articles] [Link]
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2024) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.

Professional Associations

Description Function From / To
Society for Terrorism Research Advisory Board Member 01/09/2012 -
International Centre for Counter-Terrorism Associate Fellow P/CVE 01/03/2022 -
Irish Network for Terrorism and Political Violence Researchers Founding Co-Ordinator 01/03/2023 -

Honors and Awards

Date Title Awarding Body
01/01/2014 Honourary Lectureship Department of Security and Crime Science, University College London

Committees

Committee Function From / To
Research Committee Committee Member 01/09/2023 -
Athena Swan Self Assessment Team Committee Co-Chair 01/09/2023 -
PhD Committee Committee Member 01/09/2023 -

Employment

Employer Position From / To
University of East London Reader 01/09/2016 - 01/09/2018
University of East London Senior Lecturer 01/09/2011 - 01/09/2016
International Center for the Study of Terrorism, Pennsylvania State University Post-Doctoral Researcher 01/09/2010 - 01/09/2011
Royal Holloway, University of London Senior Lecturer 01/09/2018 - 09/08/2022

Education

Start date Institution Qualification Subject
University College Cork MA Forensic Psychology
University of St. Andrews PhD International Relations
University College Dublin BA Psychology

Other Activities

Description
John is currently the external examiner for the BSc in Professional Policing at the University of Law
John previously served as the external examiner for the MA in Cyber Crime and Terrorism at Swansea University
John is currently the external examiner for the MSc Countering Extremist Crime and Terrorism at University College London
John Morrison hosts the Talking Terror podcast where he interviews international leaders in the area of terrorism, counter terrorism and political violence. The podcast can be accessed here: https://soundcloud.com/user-366747443

Consultancy

Client Description
Pool Reinsurance Developed Threat Assessment report and survey for PoolRe to work alongside them in reviewing their threat assessment measures.

Editorial / Academic Reviews

Amount Role From / To
Behavioral Sciences Of Terrorism And Political Aggression Associate Editor 01/09/2014 -
Perspectives on Terrorism Associate Editor -
Terrorism and Political Violence Guest Editor -
Terrorism and Political Violence Member of the Editorial Board -

Teaching Interests

John has over 10 years teaching and supervisory experience at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Within this time he has taught general criminology, research methods and terrorism specific modules. In 2019 he designed the MSc in Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London

John is currently teaching on three modules at undergraduate level at Maynooth. They are:
  • Psychology of Terrorism
  • Introduction to Criminology
  • Theoretical Criminology
He is currently supervising one doctoral student, John Greenan whose research focuses on radicalisation in UK prisons. 

John Morrison has previously supervised two doctoral students to completion, and is interested to hear from others interested in completing doctoral research under his supervision.

Recent Students

Graduation date Name Degree
2021 Daniella Scerri PhD
2022 Eke Bont PhD
2024 Heidi Maiberg PhD

External Collaborators

Name Role Country
Menna Rose Co-Author United Kingdom
Kurt Braddock Co-Author United States
Niamh Hourigan Co-Author Ireland
Paul Gill, University College London Co-Author United Kingdom
David Winter Co-Author United Kingdom
Joel Busher, Coventry University Co-Author United Kingdom
Andrew Silke, Cranfield University Co-Author United Kingdom
Lara Fumkin, Open University Co-Author United Kingdom
James Windle, University College Cork Co-Author Ireland
Noemie Bouhana, University College London Co-Author United Kingdom
John Horgan, Georgia State University Co-Author United States
Michael Frith, University College London Co-Author United Kingdom
Rebecca Stewart, Royal Holloway, University of London Co-Author United Kingdom
Chloe Slay, Royal Holloway, University of London Co-Author United Kingdom
Zoe Marchment, University College London Co-Author United Kingdom
Heidi Maiberg, Royal Holloway University of London Co-Author United Kingdom
Kees van den Bos Co-Author Netherlands
Eke Bont, Royal Holloway, University of London Co-Author United Kingdom